Germany Approves Controversial Military Conscription Law Amid Rising Russian Tensions
London, UK, December 9, 2025
A Necessary Step: Germany Approves Controversial Military Conscription Law Amid Rising Russian Tensions, Bolstering Bundeswehr Numbers
Headline Points:
• Germany Approves Controversial Military Conscription Law in a move to rapidly boost the numbers of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces.
• The new system is a dual-track approach, centered on a lucrative voluntary service, but it includes provisions for potential compulsory service if recruitment goals fall short.
• The legislation, approved by the Bundestag, requires all young men turning 18 to undergo mandatory medical evaluations, a step not seen since conscription was suspended in 2011.
• The law is a direct political response to Rising Russian Tensions and a commitment to meeting NATO’s defense targets.
• The long-term goal is ambitious: expanding the Bundeswehr from 183,000 currently to up to 260,000 active soldiers by 2035, plus 200,000 reservists.
In a landmark vote that marks a significant shift in post-Cold War German defense policy, Germany Approves Controversial Military Conscription Law Amid Rising Russian Tensions.
The German parliament, the Bundestag, passed the legislation after months of heated debate, creating a new framework designed to urgently bolster the Bundeswehr’s strength and readiness.
This legislative move is a direct and measured political response to the heightened geopolitical threat perceived from Russia, and a national commitment to fulfilling its defense obligations to NATO.
The new law, while stopping short of full conscription, introduces a mandatory mechanism aimed at significantly increasing both the size and the reserve capacity of the German armed forces.
The new system operates on a dual-track basis. At its core is a more attractive, lucrative voluntary military service option, which aims to appeal to young men and women with improved pay, conditions, and flexibility, with a minimum service term of six months.
However, the most controversial element is the implicit move toward a partial return to compulsory service.
Starting in the new year, all young men turning 18 will be legally required to answer questionnaires about their willingness and ability to serve, and men born after January 1, 2008, will also be required to undergo mandatory medical examinations.
This requirement for medical evaluation is the first of its kind since Germany suspended universal conscription in 2011, and it provides the political mechanism to implement needs-based conscription if voluntary recruitment figures prove insufficient.
The political decision to approve the Military Conscription Law reflects a clear strategic alignment with the broader European trend, where nations like France and Italy are expanding voluntary service, while Nordic and Baltic states have strengthened mandatory conscription.
The overarching goal is ambitious: the legislation sets targets to increase the Bundeswehr from its current 183,000 active soldiers to up to 260,000 active soldiers and at least 200,000 reservists by 2035.
The Defense Ministry is required to report recruitment figures to the parliament every six months, creating a transparent metric that will determine if the more stringent compulsory service is eventually activated.
Despite the controversy and public debate, the government has argued that the law is a necessary step to guarantee the long-term security of the country in the face of what are increasingly viewed as rising Russian tensions.
While officials hope the voluntary system will suffice, the mere existence of a framework for partial conscription sends a powerful signal to both allies and adversaries that Germany is serious about assuming a leading role in European defense and is prepared to undertake the politically difficult steps required to protect its sovereignty.
